23 March 2026
Selwyn residents are being invited to help shape how Selwyn Water engages with the community on important decisions affecting drinking water and wastewater services across the district.
Selwyn Water has released its draft Significance and Engagement Policy for public feedback. The policy sets out when decisions are considered significant and how the organisation will involve the community in those decisions.
The policy is required under national water services legislation and marks an important step in establishing Selwyn Water, following the transfer of water assets from Selwyn District Council on 18 December 2025.
Chief Executive Alex Cabrera says the draft policy reflects what the community has already said matters most.
“Residents have told us they want Selwyn Water to be open, transparent, and accountable, and to have a real say in the decisions that affect them,” Cabrera says.
“This draft policy is our first response to that feedback. Now we’re asking the community to tell us how they want to be engaged going forward”.
“We want to understand what meaningful engagement looks like for our communities, when we should involve people, how we should do it, and what good engagement feels like in practice.”
“We’re also committed to strengthening our engagement with mana whenua as part of how we shape decisions and deliver services across the district.”
“This is about building a relationship with our community from the outset, one that is open, consistent, and based on listening as much as informing,” he says.
Selwyn Water Senior Communications Adviser Neisha Livermore says the draft policy is an important opportunity for residents to contribute to how the new organisation operates.
“This isn’t just about a policy document, it’s about setting expectations for how Selwyn Water works with its community,” she says.
“We’re encouraging people to take a look, tell us what works, what doesn’t, and what would give them confidence that their voice is being heard.”
Feedback received during the engagement period will help shape the final policy, which will guide how Selwyn Water engages with the community on significant matters in the future.
The draft Significance and Engagement Policy is open for feedback until 5pm, Thursday 16 April.
Residents can read the draft policy and submit feedback online at selwyn.govt.nz/SWLSEP, or pick up, complete, and return a hard copy feedback form from any Selwyn District Council library and service centre.
“Getting this right matters,” Cabrera says. “We’re building a new organisation, and we want to do that alongside our community. We encourage residents to take a few minutes to review the draft policy and share their views.”